Going Home
by Ayrpluto72
Summary: Connor died. She thought so, the team thought so, the world thought so. Somehow she didn't. She wakes months later in a strange facility, with people who have tried to brainwash her. Connor knows one thing - she needs to get home, home to the Avengers. [Sequel to When The Wolf Cries] [Will contain AOU]
1. Chapter 1

_**HEY GUYS! I am so excited to start this sequel, after seeing Age of Ultron I have so many ideas on how Connor will fit into it, but I wanted to also address the fact that was the ending of the last one ahha because that was a complete ending. I've put a twist on it (probably over used) so I hope it's okay. It'll be dived into in later chapters.**_

_**There won't be age of ultron spoliers until maybe July/August time because I hope most of the readers will have seen it by then (I dont want to spoil anything)! Thanks guys!**_

* * *

CHAPTER 1.

The girl shot up, her eyes flicking open and she gasped heavily as she clutched at her chest. A warm hand was placed roughly against her shoulder and she jumped before looking to her right and calming down slightly.

"It was a dream Connor, its okay." Her brother Elias muttered, tugging her closer to him and hugging her tightly. She hugged him back, but confusion took over.

"You, Theo and everyone! You're dead!" She spoke, her eyes flashing blue with urgency. Her brother sighed and rubbed her back sympathetically.

"I'm not dead Connor. The rest are though, remember?" Connor furrowed her eyebrows, it slightly starting to bring back memories. "They were killed. You remember who by?" Her brother prodded and Connor was surprised when she knew the answer.

"The Avengers?"

Her brother nodded. "The Avengers," He confirmed.

"Connor, how old are you?" Her brother checked. She had to think for a moment.

"Seventeen," she decided and he nodded, it was the right answer.

She nodded, remembering it all now.

It had been a long few months; her family were being hunted by SHIELD. Her dad was a part of the organisation HYDRA, as was the rest of her family. She had thought HYDRA were the bad guys until her parents had sat down and explained it all to her. SHIELD had tried to take out the old HYDRA – and that was the bad HYDRA.

The new HYDRA was good. They were kind to people like them: enhanced people. Connor's family had been caught once by SHIELD and they had almost been experimented on until HYDRA rescued them and her parents and older brothers had become agents. She was too young but she would become one in the next few months.

As they both looked at each other in the comfort of the king sized bed they were sharing for the past few nights that they had been laying low in the city, there was a slightly click from the other room in the hotel apartment. If they hadn't both had enhanced hearing, they wouldn't have heard it.

Their eyes both shone blue in the dim light, their sight suddenly much more enhanced. Elias passed Connor a gun and she clicked the safety off at the same time he did with his own, both of them standing and moving towards the door.

Just as her brother opened the door, a bang echoed around the room and Connor surged forward, aiming the gun towards the intruder. She snarled before the intruder fired another shot, straight into her stomach. She stopped, her eyes widening slightly. The intruder stormed towards her and caught her as she started to fall, pressing the gun into her stomach and firing another round.

Connor could see her brother lying on the ground surrounded in his blood and figured that the first gunshot had hit him. She looked up at the attacker and instantly recognised his face.

"Tony Stark." She spat out before he laughed and dropped her, spinning on his heel and walking away from her and her brother as they lay bleeding out on the ground.

* * *

Tony looked up as Bruce walked into the lab, a determined look on his face. He smiled at the doctor and watched as he pulled on his lab coat.

After tinkering with different things in silence for an hour, Tony spoke up.

"It's been almost three months now, and I've finally accepted she's in a better place," he decided softly as Bruce turned around to look at him. The quieter man nodded and walked over to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know Tony. I know," he lied. Bruce was pretty sure they were missing something, but everyone else was still so shut off when it came to their fallen teammate. There was something not right, and it reminded Bruce of when Connor had faked her death only weeks after they had met. He knew she couldn't have faked her death but he knew there was more to her death.

Later on, as Tony packed up for the night and announced he was going to go visit Pepper in whatever state she was currently in, Bruce realised he was the only one left in the tower for the rest of the weekend; Natasha was out on a mission with Steve, Thor was visiting Jane and her friends in Asgard, and Clint had rushed off god-knows where doing god-knows what.

The second Jarvis informed him that Tony had left the building; Bruce accessed his hidden collected information from the computer's mainframe. Jarvis had promised to help hide it form the rest of the team and Bruce had managed to heavily encrypt the files in the hopes that Tony would not find them. He didn't want any of the Avengers seeing his rough work unless it became one hundred percent vital to them.

Bruce checked the death file of Connor once more before he had an idea. If Connor would have somehow been able to survive the surgery and faked her own death again (it pained Bruce to think she would hurt them like that again) the main person to know would be the surgeon in charge of the operation. Getting Jarvis to track down the man's whereabouts while he took a quick shower and changed, Bruce was anxious yet slightly worked up. If Connor had been alive when they had been informed she was dead, where was she?

He picked one of the cars Tony had allowed him to use whenever he needed and hoped in, the directions already programmed by Jarvis. He followed them, listening to the casual discussions on the radio – one of the discussions were coincidently about Connor – and after half an hour reached a small apartment block. He ran a hand through his curly hair before he locked the car and walked up to the door and opened it. He slowly walked up the seventeen flights of stairs instead of taking the lift for obvious reasons, and found apartment 17E. He knocked on the door and heard shuffling inside.

He was expecting the surgeon to open the door but was surprised when a small child opened it, grinning at him.

"Hi! I'm Jones!" The boy squealed enthusiastically. Bruce raised an eyebrow and stuttered with a response before a man came to the door and shoved the boy gently towards the inside of the apartment, ruffling his hair with a grin.

"Sorry about that," the man spoke before he actually looked at Bruce and realised who he was. "Doctor Banner?" The man questioned, his tone changing to slightly concerned. "How may I help you?"

Bruce smiled shyly for a moment before pulling out his Stark issued phone and showing him a picture of the surgeon. "Do you know this man?" He asked carefully and the man sighed, nodding slowly.

"He used to own this apartment before we bought it after the incident. He was a good man." Bruce raised an eyebrow, his demeanour changing instantly.

"Was?" The man questioned before the apartment owner shook his head sadly.

"He was found dead in his car about two and a half months ago," the man sighed before looking at Bruce's shocked face. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" Bruce shook his head and thanked the man before heading back to the tower in a daze.

Maybe it was a coincidence but the man had died almost a week after Connor's operation. Bruce was starting to worry now, more and more of his research was turning into a huge arrow that pointed to Connor Whittmore being alive.

* * *

Connor's eyes snapped open and she found herself being helped to sit up by a doctor dressed in all white. Her eyes flickered between him and the woman who was standing beside her, checking her vitals on a tablet.

"What happened?" She questioned, although she could remember.

"Tony Stark shot you and your brother. I'm afraid to have to tell you this, but you brother succeeded to his wounds in surgery." Connor felt numb for a moment but as she heard the familiar pause and extra beat of the man's heart, she knew he was lying.

The woman went to take a blood sample from Connor's arm but the teenager stopped her and asked if she could have a moment alone before any of the tests continued. The man doctor nodded and both of them left the room, proceeding to stand outside and speak. Connor focused on their conversation using her hearing and listened to what they were saying.

"The drug I administered her before she woke up should mean she won't be able to use her powers. It's safe to talk." The woman assumed and Connor almost chuckled to herself but she kept pretending she couldn't hear.

"The surgeon has been taken care of many weeks ago." He spoke, a thick Russian accent in his voice.

"The one who administered the pill that made her appear dead?" She checked, her voice lowering slightly.

The man nodded before he looked in the window at Connor who was staring at her hands, acting like she was surprised to be alive.

"Her friends have started to accept her death." A set of heavy footprints started to get louder and the two doctor's conversations ended suddenly.

"Sir!" They both spoke, standing up straighter.

"At ease," a new, rougher voice spoke and Connor could tell instantly this was the man in charge.

"How has the manipulation of her memories been going?" He questioned and the man shrugged slightly.

"We haven't asked her yet, we were just about to," the female doctor answered smoothly and the other man nodded.

He made a grunt of approval before looking in the window at the slightly banged up teenager. "I want to do it," he decided and instead of waiting for an answer, he walked into the room and smiled warmly at the girl.

"Connor, I need to ask you a few questions," he informed her while pulling up a chair and she nodded, deciding to go along with it.

"Who are the Avengers?" She scoffed and shook her head.

"The bad guys!" She lied perfectly and noted the heart rate monitor didn't even skip a beat anymore.

The man nodded and checked his watched before jumping up. "Sorry, I didn't realise the time! I'll be back later!" He exclaimed and Connor knew he only had wanted to ask her that question.

The teenager thought about everything that had happened recently that she could remember. She remembered being shot with Elias but she knew it hadn't happened; she had been working on telling dreams from reality with Bruce before she had been attacked at the mission.

The mission! She remembered not being able to move as one of the doctors trying to save her had pricked her with a needle, at the time she presumed it was anaesthetic. Connor remembered not being able to move or even say anything when she had been declared dead; she had heard the surgeon telling her team, she heard their cries in the middle of the hospital but then everything had gone black.

She understood now. Someone else had faked her death to get her here, and she gently stood up, turning off the machines at the wall so that they wouldn't make an alarm noises when she ripped out the wires that were monitoring her.

Connor stood up and walked into the small bathroom that was attached to the medical room, her eyes catching on to her reflection in a mirror. She gasped at the difference. Her hair was a lighter shade and was almost blonde, and as she half-shifted she noticed her claws were still the same as were her eyes. She sighed, before noticing she wasn't even in a hospital gown. She was in a pair of lounge shorts and a t-shirt that did faintly resemble a hospital gown.

Noticing a small window in the corner of the room, she pulled herself on top of the sink to look out of it. Snow and trees. That was all she could see, but she knew she needed out of here quickly. She also realised it was too easy but she would deal with that later. But first, she punched her fist straight through the window and ignored the cuts it made. She groaned once she realised that she was going to have to shift to get through the small window.

Her bones groaned in agony after having not shifted in such a long time but she ignored it and flung herself forward, tumbling out the window and on to the fresh snow. She knew she didn't have long, it would be easy to stop her black fur against the white snow so she took off towards the woods, her legs pushing her further and further until she was so far away that the building was only a mere blob in the distance.

As she stopped for breath, she flicked her tail and yawned as the grey fur flicked snow away from her grey paws.

Grey.

Connor jumped up with a fright, rushing to the nearest pond she could find. Looking into the pond, her eyes still shone blue but her fur was no longer midnight black, but grey – like a normal wolf. She paused for a moment, understanding an experiment or something must have changed it but she did not care at the moment – it was the same as the rest of her family's fur (before they died anyway).

Letting out a howl, she sped forward again, hoping she could stumble across somewhere she could contact the Avengers.


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce was stuck. It had been two weeks since he had learnt about the death of the surgeon who had operated on Connor and he had gotten absolutely nowhere. All of his leads had run dry almost immediately, and even a quick scan of Connor's grave revealed her body was still under the ground. The idea of Connor actually being dead was being more and more plausible, even though he did not want to admit it.

Maybe that was his problem. He was starting to think that he was just jumping the gun with all this information and connecting things that were just coincidences. Everyone else had almost finished accepting Connor was gone and not coming back this time: so why couldn't he?

He watched from the window of the lab as Natasha and Clint sat playing a card game, while the others watched eagerly as they were always a good match to watch. Bruce sighed before closing his file and taking off his lab coat.

It was time he stopping pining over the past. Connor was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it. He hung his lab coat on its small hook beside the door and turned off the lights, casting one last glance at the drawer that contained his research on the wolf before he closed the door behind him. Not looking back once, he walked over to his team with two things on his mind; Connor isn't coming back and if Clint wins Tony owes him twenty bucks.

* * *

"Twenty days," the man shrugged, feeling slightly sorry for the teenage girl in front of him. She sighed and ran a hand through her long hair.

"Is there not another phone around here?" She question impatiently and he shook his head.

"All of them reply on the same power line, and like I said, it's going to be twenty days until the technicians have time to repair them," he replied, passing her a glass of water across the counter of the crowded bar.

She took the water and thanked him for his time before weaving her way through the groups of men screaming at the American football game on the TV in the corner of the room. She had learnt almost nothing from these people so far.

All she knew was that she was somewhere in America at least, and in a shocking coincidence, the whole town didn't have a working telephone or mobile. She wasn't that surprised about the mobile phone part; the town seemingly only had one small food shop, a basic clothes shop and one bar.

Luckily, this also meant no one recognised her as Connor Whittmore, one of the life-saving members of the all-star team known as the Avengers. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not yet, but it was leaning more into the good side.

Just as she started her water, there was angry sighs as a breaking news story interrupted the football game. She looked up and almost fainted in surprise.

"It has appeared that no-one was able to escape the burning building Dave!" The reported spoke urgently. In the corner of the screen was TV footage of the building she was running from burning straight to the ground, into ashes almost. It made her feel a tiny bit safer and soon the TV was back to football.

As she sat in the corner of the bar and observed a small map that the bartender had given her before she had even started to ask about phones, she felt a gentle but sharp tug on her jacket sleeve. Connor lifted her eyes from the map to be met with the panicked faces of a young girl and boy.

"Have you seen our mom?" They asked her and she shrugged, tucking the map into her back pocket and standing up.

"I haven't but I'll help you look," the kids nodded and seemed slightly happier but they were obviously still worried. Connor scanned the bar and identified there was no females in here other than her and the little girl.

She led the two kids outside and she checked up and down the street to see if she could see anyone else. Her hearing picked up on a woman yelling out two names from the bottom of the road. Connor smiled at the kids.

"I've found your mother," she notified the kids and pointed the woman out as she came running down the street.

"Mom!" The girl yelled and the mother turned around and let out a sigh of relief that her children were okay. Connor noticed she was also pregnant and the teenager smiled wider, happy to have helped.

The mother looked over to her and walked over. "Thank you so much! I'm Laura," the woman said, extending her hand out to Connor.

The teenager shook it and smiled. "Connor," she replied, not thinking much of it. She doubted the woman knew who she was.

Laura smiled at her and thanked her once more before starting to walk away. Connor thought for a second before calling out to her.

"Laura? I've been travelling without a clock, so do you know what date it is?" She asked warmly and the woman laughed before nodding.

"It's the 22nd of February," the woman noticed her confused look and added a joke. "The year is 2015!" Connor laughed as she laughed and they parted ways.

However, the teenager was confused. She had been shot in early December of 2014. She wasn't stupid, it obviously added up to the fact she must have been in a coma for almost two months while she had been in that facility. Of course her friends probably believed she was dead, they knew she wouldn't put them through the pain of faking a death again. She didn't want this.

She wanted to be back home, with her team. Connor was getting home, no matter what.

The 22nd of February. Connor scoffed, "**_happy eighteenth birthday to me_**."

Taking one last look behind her at the small town, Connor walked off into the darkness of the night and shifted when she was sure no one would be able to see her. She had realised why the change of colour in her fur had happened. Her parents had once told her that some wolves need to earn their families coat, and she figured that's what had happened. Connor had finally earned the family colour (although she was definitely going to miss her dark black – it was much better for stealth).

Looking up at the moon and letting out one last howl, she pushed her legs faster, following the direction she had memorised in the map and hoping she would get home soon.

* * *

Clint watched as Natasha closed the next album, a look of sadness on her face but when they made eye contact he understood that she was also happy. He understood why she was happy.

It might have taken the assassins longer than expected to get over their friends death but they had started their road to recovery. They had started training without feeling her presence around them, especially after Bruce had removed all of Connor's things that were still lying around the tower and had placed them into boxes in her old room.

None of them wanted to go through her things yet. They might be getting over it but going through her things was still a hard task to even think about let alone actually do.

Natasha leaned back against the wall and picked up the last of the albums. Clint shuffled over to sit beside her and they opened the front cover together. They were immediately greeted by a team photo from when the city was starting to accept Connor again, when everything was okay.

Clint ran a finger over the photo, before pointing out the cut on Tony's arm and they both laughed. Connor had flicked him in the arm and had forgotten her claws were still out and Tony screeched like a toddler. It also explained the billionaire's grumpy expression and directed glare towards Connor.

"I miss this," the archer decided and Natasha nodded blissfully before closing the book and standing up, holding out a hand to help him up. They stared around Connor's old room once more before they left, leaving the photo albums lying on the ground.

Entering the dining room, they found everyone sitting around the table waiting on them. The various glasses had the alcohol poured into them already and each of the Avengers, Pepper and Maria picked up a glasses, clinking them together as Tony started the small toast.

"Happy 18th Birthday Connor,"

* * *

She travelled for three days straight, occasionally getting lifts from strangers who passed her on the long, sandy roads. Gradually, the areas she was travelling through began to get bigger and more modern. She expected it wouldn't be long before she came across a major city and by the words of the travellers she had met; it was the one she was searching for.

Of course, this also meant that she had been in contact with more people who had phones. She had borrowed a mobile from multiple different strangers but she found that they couldn't even get through to Stark Tower with the amount of restrictions that Tony had obviously installed since her 'death'. Ultimately, this led to her still not being able to contact her team to let them know she was alive.

She found herself on the outskirts of Manhattan quicker than she expected. As she stretched her neck, she noticed the tower in the distance. A snort escaped her lips as she noticed the new decoration on the sign. No longer was Stark lit up across the tower like a brand, but the Avengers symbol was on it and Connor felt a rush of pride flow through her. The Tony she had met almost three years ago on the Helicarrier would not have even considered doing such a thing back then – and it was like a beacon of happiness for Connor. They weren't a team, she had been wrong all this time.

They were family: a highly dysfunctional family, but a good one at that.

One question that kept springing to mind was how unobservant people in the city actually were. The dead Avengers was standing in amongst them but because her hair had been dyed blonde, they didn't even stop to notice Connor Whittmore was home, and she was still wearing the same clothes she had been wearing when she escaped that weird institution.

As she walked towards the tower, Connor couldn't help but feel nervous. It felt so familiar, and she wasn't fond of how everything had happened before all of this. Last time they thought she was dead, she was punched in the face almost three times and it was terrible. She was a very loyal person due to her wolf DNA and it pained her betraying her friends.

They were her new pack. She had thought it before but she knew it now. It all made sense, when her parents had told her she would have her own pack one day – they did not necessary mean of wolves like her. It meant a family, a home. Connor hadn't really noticed the hole in her heart since her parent's death had started to fill itself back up. She would never forget her family and the sacrifices they had made for her, but she would always remember the feeling of excitement that rushed over her as she stood in the cold February air of the city once she realised that she was returning to more than a superhero team – but a family and a pack.

She was getting closer to the tower with every single step she took. She wasn't sure what she was going to find when she reached the tower. Maybe there was no team anymore. She wished they were still a team. It would be like losing her old pack all over again, feeling the burn in her chest as the light faded from their eyes and glossed over. Connor knew that when she had explained as much as she could to the Government, her team and the public, she was going to get the long needed massage that Pepper had offered her so many months ago.

The light was fading from the sky and as Connor finally stood across the road from the tower, the sign was shining a bright blue colour, and Connor was instantly reminded of her eyes. She knew it was not why the sign was blue but it was a welcoming gesture to her. Maybe everything would be okay now, maybe this was her time.

Connor walked forward, across the busy road and took a deep breath before she opened the door and walked into the reception, her eyes latching on to the photo frame hung on the wall. It wasn't new. It had been there when she was still presumed alive.

Ignoring the security guard who was eyeing her suspiciously (but who wouldn't be? A teenager just waltzes into the tower of the world's most famous heroes to look at a picture frame?) she placed her hand against the photo frame, comparing how young she looked only three years ago when the photo of her and Tony had been taken.

She stood there for what seemed like hours, just analysing her features. She stared at the arc reactor in his chest and smiled slightly, knowing he had been so happy that he decided to get it removed eventually. He kept it in a small box, and Connor knew there was something about it being it that box that was sentimental to him – she presumed it was to do with Pepper, but she had never asked.

Voices through an earpiece reached her ears, and she could hear the security guard talking quietly into the microphone.

"I swear, she looks different than a groupie!" The man noted and she heard a large sigh down the earpiece and she instantly knew who it was.

She had received that sigh many times, whether it was just out of annoyance or just teasing her, she could recognise it anywhere. The deep pause at the end of the sigh, the slightly groan and the sarcastic voice that would follow the sigh.

The wolf waited to hear the sarcastic reply that would be passed on through the earpiece and the second she heard it, her body felt lighter and she brought a hand up to her chest, amazed she could feel the hole basically being rebuilt. Her happiness was outweighing everything else at the moment.

She wasn't caring that she had been taken away, she was caring about the fact she was back. She could sense her friends. Slowly turning away from the portrait of her and Tony, she caught a glance with the security guard and realised they were the only ones in the foyer.

The guard paused what he had started to say when he studied her closer for a second. His eyes widened and he stuttered out a curse of surprise.

Connor could hear the voice on the other end of the line sarcastically asking what was happening. The security guard had a small smile appear on his face as he recognised the girl standing looking at him.

He reached a hand up to his earpiece. "Sir? You might want to see this?" He checked, but the man on the line sighed.

"I'm already coming down!"

Connor felt her eyes glow blue with happiness and she heard footsteps behind her.

She spun around, her breath catching in her throat as her eyes met Tony's. There was a deafening silence and the security guard carefully left, not wanting to interrupt their moment.

"_Tony_," she breathed out.

He walked forward and flung his arms open as Connor barrelled forward into them, tears pouring down her cheeks as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, his hand on her back and the back of her neck. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and they stood there, rocking back and forth.

She had made it.

She was home.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony stood with his arms tightly wrapped around Connor, unable to believe she had come home to them. He rubbed at his eyes as the tears gently poured from them and the girl pulled away from him, her eyes still faintly shining blue. The glowing colour faded and her normal blue eyes stared into Tony's eyes.

The billionaire shook his head, a slight grin forming. "Screw you Whittmore, screw you!" He muttered but she could feel his happiness. He opened his mouth to say something else but Connor could hear someone start talking to him via the earpiece he currently had in.

"Stark, what's taking so long?" Steve asked, and Connor could tell the whole team was together. She could hear their laughs in the background of the message and her chest warmed slightly, thinking about her friends.

Tony looked at Connor before raising a hand and touching his earpiece lightly. "I got a surprise," he explained and he could hear Steve's groan down the connection.

"Hurry up Stark!" He snapped and the connection went silent, with the man rolling his eyes before looking back to the teenager. He smiled warmly again and starting walking away, and she took this as her cue to follow him.

They walked along the familiar long corridors that led towards the elevators. As they walked, Tony asked Connor questions.

"I thought after last time, there would be no more faking deaths," he chimed in but Connor could hear the slight anger starting to appear in his tone, thinking she had willingly abandoned them again.

She shook her head and looked down at her intertwined hands, fiddling with her fingers and refusing to meet his gaze. "I don't remember much. I woke up five days ago, in some medical room. They were claiming to be helping me but they had tried to brainwash me, but they didn't know it hadn't worked and I still knew everything."

Tony's eyebrows shot up in surprise and lightly placed a hand on her arm as they stepped into the elevator. "Connor, who was trying to brainwash you and what did they want?" He asked calmly but he was rattled inside.

"I don't know. I think they were HYDRA – they wanted me to blame our team for the death of my family. They showed me a fake memory of..." she trailed off, remembering it was the fake Tony who was being used to attempt to manipulate her.

He narrowed his eyes. "Of what?"

"It was you Tony. You shot my brother dead and then you shot me," she muttered softly, before turning to look at her friend and shaking her head.

His eyes were widened and Connor could hear his heart speed up slightly but she shook her head more aggressively. "Stop panicking," she demanded, "I know you wouldn't do that to me. Tony, they wanted me to turn against you guys and they wanted me to kill you."

There was a heavy tension that lingered in the silence of the elevator. The silence was broken by JARVIS' voice speaking to them.

"You have reached your floor. Welcome home, Miss Whittmore!" She smiled slightly but just before she followed Tony out of the elevator, she grabbed on to his arm.

"That fake memory, it stays between us. You don't need that being known," she ordered and Tony nodded, noticing how she was a lot more in control of herself now.

He stopped suddenly, outside a large door and turned to look at Connor. "I don't know how everyone is going to react. It was harder this time, we saw your body! Everyone is in there, and a few people I think you are yet to meet. Take a deep breath." She did as Tony told her and he placed a hand on the door handle, his eyes gleaming in the light.

"Are you ready?"

* * *

When Connor was seven, Theo had gone out to a friend's house and had not came back home. He was gone for almost two weeks, and her family had presumed the worst as no one could contact him or find him. Even the police couldn't find him, and it was made a high priority case because her mother worked on the local police force.

She remembered sitting in the kitchen at dinner one night when the front door swung open and her brother stumbled into the kitchen, holding a box of pizza with a sheepish grin on his face.

He had gone camping with some of his friends and his phone had died, so he hadn't called to let anyone know. Connor and Elias were sent to their rooms but the teenager could clearly remember they both sat at the top of the stairs peeking into the small gap of the kitchen door.

Her parents grounded Theo for three months. She remembered the yelling, the screaming and she even remembered that her dad had smashed a glass he was holding because of how angry he was. She can remember the three of them with their eyes glowing in anger. Her dad's eyes shone red as did her mother's while Theo's eyes shone yellow.

It had gone on for hours, Theo would yell and her mother would yell back and her dad would comfort her mother while also yelling. Connor remembered that it ended with everyone crying and hugging. A lot changed after that though. They all had to inform their parents were they were at every minute of the day and Theo was slightly more distant from their parents. He became more protective of his little siblings and Connor had understood the story she had learned about Theo's disappearance was not the true one.

She never had got to ask him what happened, but she knew he regretted not telling her and Elias what had gone wrong and where he had been for those long weeks.

Connor couldn't do that to her team, especially after last time – it was too much for them and for her. She took a breath before looking up at Tony, his eyes staring at her in confusion as she had been silent for a few minutes while she remembered the pain Theo's lie caused her and worked up enough courage to enter the room with her friends.

She released the breath she was holding and stood up slightly taller, fixing her shirt and looking back up at the genius.

"As ready as I'll ever be," and she swung the door open.

* * *

She wasn't noticed at first. The layout of the large gathering space had been changed, and Connor looked up slightly at the raised open space in front of her, seeing all of her team and a few other people gathered around a large glass table.

She could see Natasha and Clint playing a card game against Thor and Steve (neither of which actually seemed to understand what the point in the game was) and everyone else was gathered around them laughing.

Connor smiled slightly, seeing them happy made her feel a bit better than she had previously. Tony had already gone and started to walk up the steps towards their friends while Connor had hung back cautiously, not sure how to actually approach them.

Turns out she didn't need to. Connor watched as Bruce looked over at the door, his eyes latching on to the cautious Connor and his glass slipped out of his hand. The wolf decided it was like slow-motion as the glass shattered against the cold floor, its contents spilling across the ground. The whole team jumped up, noticing Bruce's expression.

Clint was the first to notice. His eyes widened and his hands clenched into fists, a look of confusion over his face. He looked like he wanted to walk towards her and hug her but also like he wanted to murder her first.

Natasha's face was not what Connor expected. The girl could remember her face when she had discovered the teenager was alive last time, but this was the exact opposite. There was no rage on the assassins face, only a slightly glimmer of hope and surprise was on her face this time.

Connor was somewhat surprised to see Maria Hill with her hand hovering over her gun in a defensive state, she was unaware Maria was with the Avengers now. Another surprise was Sam, Steve and Natasha's friend she had met when they helped stop HYDRA from killing all those people. She didn't recognise the other man in the room, but she knew he was close to Tony. She could tell by the way he angled his body slightly to face the genius.

Steve looked down-right betrayed. It broke Connor's heart a bit, to see the super-soldier looking at Connor like she was a different person completely than when they had all worked as a team only a few months back. She could see the outline of a tattoo on his arm and understood it was the same as hers. That was like a punch in the gut to Connor.

Pepper wasn't in the room and Connor was unsure if she was in the same state as them, let alone actually being in the building with them. She would ask Tony once she managed to get through this reunion.

Bruce was smiling, and shaking his head lightly and Connor figured he had not thought she was dead in the first place, if he had then he would have probably hulked out by now. She was very glad her hadn't, she didn't want to be the cause of that again.

Connor was shaken out of her emotion analysing when a rough hand grabbed her neck and slammed her against the pillar she was standing in front of. Her eyes stated to glow blue and she coughed as Thor's grip around her neck tightened as she tried to push off his arm.

There was yells from the team at Thor to let her go but he ignored them, his eyes angrily glaring at Connor.

"Connor Whittmore is dead!" He yelled but the girl shook her head, trying to gather her energy to escape from his grip. She didn't need to. Tony's suit flew straight into Thor, making him land back beside Steve and let Connor regain her balance, the bruising around her neck already starting to heal due to her advanced healing.

Steve helped Thor up from the ground and Connor started to walk forward before Clint had raised his gun, aiming it right at her.

"Prove you're our Connor," he demanded and she rolled her eyes.

"How am I supposed to do that? I'm eighteen, I have literally no government secrets that we all share!" She rolled her eyes and Clint lowered his gun, a grin spreading across his face.

She had reached the top of the set of stairs and was only metres away from her team members. Clint crossed the gap between them and tucked her into his arms, holding her close to him as if she would disappear again if he let go of her. She smiled and clutched on to his jacket, her eyes closing in content. He released her and she found herself wrapped in Natasha's arms, the woman pulling back and staring at her in amazement.

"You never fail to surprise me," she muttered and Connor smiled lightly. She was passed around, hugging everyone and Tony introduced her to Rhodey, his friend and also the Iron Patriot.

She found herself laughing as Thor apologized and then she found herself at Steve.

He didn't meet her eyes, until she reached forward and rolled up his tshirt sleeve to reveal his tattoo. She pulled of her jacket and her tattoo was on full display. They looked at each other before he picked her up, hugging her tightly and smiling into her hair.

As the team all stopped crying (even Natasha and Clint were crying), Tony helped Connor to explain everything to them – that she could remember / figured out anyway. They explained to Connor that the base she was being kept in had been blown up by them.

Connor looked around as everyone starting talking again, or playing cards, and she smiled. She had made it home, and no one had tried to kill her (minus Thor). It was off to a good start.

She knew it wasn't going to last for long, but she also knew that better things were still to come.


	4. Chapter 4

GH

(EDIT: I HAVE CHANGED THE ENDING OF THIS CHAPTER. CLINT DOES NOT HAVE KIDS.)

**(I know I originally said there would be no age of ultron spoilers for a while but THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS THAT ARE A MAJOR PART OF THE FILM.**

**Okay so this chapter slightly links into parts of Age of Ultron, but it will alter some of the movie in a way scale. This story will follow most of the things that happen in AOU but will not follow any of the later marvel movies. Agents of SHIELD may be featured but at the current TV show plots, I am not sure.**

**Anyway, SPOILERS.**

* * *

_She's in a basement; Connor recognises it as the one were Skye had been shot by Quinn almost two years ago. There's blood on the ground, and it's wet and fresh. She looks around to find the source of the blood but there's nothing anywhere. No blood trails, no person and no scents._

_She crouches down to examine the puddle and as her finger tips lightly touch it, she's startled by a loud bang and the air rushes out of her lungs in fright. Jumping up and spinning around, Connor notices the gun and then the person holding the gun. She stumbles back in shock, her shoes now covered in blood._

_Steve smirks at her as she snarls at him. "Whose blood is this?" _

_The Captain laughs before pointing at her. "It's yours, Whittmore," he laughs and it's malicious, and Connor feels something isn't quite right. She looks down at her hands and finds them covered in blood, and she notices her shirt is stained. _

_It's her blood on the ground now. She falls backwards, another round fired at her. Her hands are pushing down on the wound, trying to slow the bleeding but Steve just laughs and another round goes off. She's not healing._

_He stops when he's standing above her, her eyes shining blue in fear and pain while he raises the gun against her head. The barrel is cold and she is found wondering how it came to this._

_"Goodbye Whittmore," he spits and his finger tightens around the trigger._

* * *

Connor shot up, her eyes glowing blue in the darkness and she's panting heavily. It takes her a moment to adjust but she's home at the Avengers Tower. It was a dream. She let out a large sigh before stretching and noticing her claws are flicked out, and she can see blood under them. Connor jumps up immediately, looking for the source of the blood.

It takes her a moment before she sees the dried blood on her legs, and she knows what has happened to her. While she was sleeping, she had subconsciously half-shifted and lashed out, cutting herself instead of just swiping at the air.

She examined the sheets, and sighed as she saw the dried blood coating the sheets and pillow cases. Looking over at her alarm clock, the bright yellow lights reflected the early hours of the morning and she knew that no-one would be up by now, but she knew Steve would start his workout routine in less than an hour.

Stripping the sheets, she gathered them in her hands and headed down three floors to where the cleaners of the tower were usually at this time of morning. They worked in the early hours to avoid inconvience. Connor walked into their rather large staff room and the three men and two women jumped to their feet, standing tall at her appearance. Connor shook her head and they relaxed.

"I'm eighteen, please, don't stress yourself," she joked and they laughed slightly before one gathered the sheets from her hands. She could see them all shocked at the amount of blood on the sheets and she sighed before asking them all to keep it confidential.

They agreed and promised her bed would have new sheets placed on it by the time she had a shower. Connor was glad she had slipped on her lounge trousers before coming down as she hadn't washed the dried blood off her legs yet.

Heading back upstairs and stepping into the shower, Connor watched as the water was stained red with her blood and she watched it travel down the drain with little emotion. There was something wrong with her. She had been back at the tower for only four days, and each night she had encountered one of these dreams. They were all her being shot by the team, yet in different places and they all started differently. She hadn't spoken a word to anyone about them.

Connor leaves the shower once the water turns back to clear and she can't find any more blood on her body. Like promised, as she leaves the shower wrapped in a towel, her bed has new sheets on it and any other traces of blood around the room have been cleaned up. She decided to ask Pepper to give them all a pay rise.

Walking into the large closet that had been added since Connor's absence, the young wolf smiled in content at the choice of colours she could pick. Pulling on her basic underwear, she pulled on a pair of loose blue jeans with the hems rolled up and she searched for a top. Nothing caught her eye until she saw a nice pale blue knitted pullover. Connor pulled it off the hangar and over her head, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

She smiled at how even through the jumper, her tattoo was still visible slightly and she rolled the sleeves up, running her hand lightly over the darker pattern. She thought of her family for a moment before she remembered what she had learnt about them being HYDRA agents. She didn't want to remember them like that.

She headed into the kitchen, three floors up and was slightly surprised to find Natasha sitting at the large glass table reading a newspaper and eating some toast. The spy muttered a hello as Connor entered, focused on the story she was reading. The teenager poured herself some cereal before moving over to the table and flicking the TV on to the news channel.

The girl sighed as she watched the coverage about a small earthquake in California, but it hadn't caused any major damage or injuries. She continued to watch for a short period of time before the news reported seemed to perk up as they listened to something in their earpiece.

"Breaking news here! Tony Stark is holding an impromptu press conference, right this minute!" Connor groaned as she realised the billionaire wasn't kicking around the tower, she had just presumed he had slept in. She looked over at Natasha and the spy didn't look at all confused, yet just continued to eat her toast.

"You knew?" Connor blurted out and Natasha nodded, ignoring the angry looks Connor was shooting her as she started to fill in the crossword. The teenager rolled her eyes and turned back to the TV screen.

"The rumours are true. As of 11:26PM on the 25th of February, Connor Whittmore has returned to the Avengers," he continued to speak as cries broke out from the press around him. "Connor had been kidnapped and held hostage with a LMD being used to act like her body. She is currently recovering from a two month coma and will not be speaking in public for a while. We would like to thank you for your patience in this time."

The screen cut back to the reporter and Connor groaned but knew it was for the best that the public knew she was alive. The reporter was rambling on about how she herself was glad to see the black wolf back in town. Connor scoffed at the black part, remembering how her fur was now a light shade of grey. She hadn't told the team yet. She would tell them if it came up but she knew it wasn't going to until they actually see it and get confused.

* * *

She starts her new training routine the next morning (yet again being up early to get clean sheets and wash the blood off her body) when she heads down to the gym and finds Clint already beating up a punching bag. She opts instead for shooting practice, the past few months teaching her that she can't always rely on her powers only.

Picking up the gun that Natasha gave her many times ago, she ran her hand along the side before focusing on a target on the wall opposite her. She fired five rounds, before checking her aim. She had managed to hit four of them in the different bull's-eyes on the target while the fifth one only just missed it. She heard Clint whistle behind her and paused as he walked up beside her, having collected his bow from the weapons arrangement.

As they practiced in silence, Connor starkly brought up something that was confusing her.

"So who are the kids?" Clint seemed surprised but quickly covered it, Connor unfortunately catching his original reaction.

"The ones you call at night when you think everyone else is sleeping," she pointed out, also pointing to her ears. "Enhanced hearing, remember?"

He groaned and turned to face her, before placing the bow and arrows across his back and lightly pulling her out of the room. They passed Natasha and he told her they were boring the jet and turning off the GPS. She seemed to understand immediately and grinned at him, before promising she would cover for them.

Connor was in shock but once the jet took off, she voiced her confusion. "Barton, what the hell are we doing?"

He smirked at her. "You asked who the kids were, so I'm taking you to meet them," he declared and Connor started to narrow her eyes at him.

"Oh my god, you're a dad!" She ground out and he shook his head but didn't comment on it.

* * *

They reached a farm half an hour later. As the jet landed, the front door of the large house was swung open and two young kids came rushing towards them, wrapping their arms around Clint and he laughed as he swung them in the air.

Connor studied the kids before her jaw dropped and as the woman started to walk towards them, her suspicions were confirmed. "Laura?" She squeaked and Clint turned around to face her, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"You know each other?" He asked and Connor's jaw almost dropped.

"I met Laura like a week ago?" Connor muttered, still really confused about what was going on. The woman smiled and reached her hand out to the girl.

"A full introduction is in order: Hi! I'm Laura Barton!" She chirped and Connor looked frantically in between Clint and Laura before wanting to scream.

"YOU HAVE A WIFE?" She yelled, throwing her hands in the air. Clint and Laura laughed before one of the kids scoffed.

"Uncle Clint is not my dad..." the boy muttered, and Connor shot him a hurtful look.

* * *

"Fury helped me set it all up before I joined SHIELD. Only him and Nat know, and now you I guess," Clint told her, having explained everything to Connor. She was still coming to terms that he had a deceased brother who left behind a family that Clint cared for without anyone knowing anything at all. She supposed it made sense though, considering how much of a important and wise figure he was in her life. His brother had died only a few months back, and it made sense to Connor as she remembers Tony mentioning Clint had been taking a lot of time off to "travel" recently.

They continued to talk when Clint's little niece – Lila – appeared with her brother – Cooper – trailing behind her.

"Do the wolf thing!" She squealed and Laura was about to scold her before Connor waved her off and followed the little girl outside, taking a deep breath and shifting fully, landing on four paws. She smiled slightly at the older boy's grin as he patted her fur.

She watched Clint's eyes widen and her mouth opened, her tongue rolling out and Clint knew she was smirking at him. He eyed her newly coloured fur suspiciously before muttering under his breath knowing she could hear.

"Wipe that smug grin off your face or I'll throw you out the plane and into the ocean. No-one would know." Connor shut her mouth instantly, but she knew the man was joking.

As she watched the four of them (including Clint's pregnant sister-in-law) interact with each other, Connor was brought back to the memories of her family interacting and only hoped they would have a nicer story than her family.


	5. Chapter 5

**I changed the ending to the last chapter by the way, I have changed it so Clint does not have kids but the Barton family are still in it. Please re-read that if you have time. Thanks x**

**This story will get slightly darker in the next few chapters, but it'll relax soon. **

* * *

_She's in the tower, it is dark and the only lights that are on are flickering constantly as she walks down the hall. She can smell the metallic scent of blood, and her eyes are glowing blue to help her navigate._

_She's in her pyjama shorts and a plain white tee, and the floor is cold against her bare feet. There's a strange metallic band strapped around her arm and she recognises it as the one they made her wear when she was unstable. It was a power deflector, but why was she wearing it now?_

_Her feet suddenly step in something warm and wet, and she has a gut feeling as to what it is before she looks. She was right, and now she's standing in a puddle of blood that continues down the corridor. As she walks, it gets deeper until its deepest point is just above her ankle. It makes Connor gag, trying to avoid the question of whose blood it may actually be._

_She reaches the room the team usually chill out in, and then she's painfully aware she's found the source of the blood. Her whole team is laid out across the room, blood from their bodies all mixing in together, although she knew the blood she had just walked through must have been hundreds of times more than what their bodies would have produced._

_She's walking further into the room, and one of the bodies she passes causes her to pause and slowly check the rest of the bodies. They're all people she knows._

_The girl beside her foot? Skye. The couple who died with their hands holding on to each other? Clint and Natasha. The man with a gun clenched in his hand? Her father._

_But there was someone missing. One less body then there should have been._

_It wasn't adding up. She stepped forward and stared around at her dead friends and family members. It wasn't right, she knew something was wrong. As she turned around, she froze in fright as a sword was rammed into her stomach, before being pulled right out, causing her to fall backwards and into the stream of blood. Her own blood started to mix in with the rest and she looked up, her eyes widening at the man standing in front of her._

_Bruce smirked down at her, his skin and eyes their normal colour and she knows this is not the other guy – it is entirely him. He stands with the sword raised to strike her, as she tries to push herself backwards and away from him. He kicks her leg and she screams as she feels the bone snap. _

_Connor scurried backwards, watching the anger dance across his eyes._

_"You did this to them Connor. I didn't kill them, you did!" He screamed, and Connor looked at her hands to find her claws were out despite the power deflector band on her arm. She looked at the bodies and saw there wasn't gunshot wounds like she expected, but slashes and she knew they were from her claws._

_Looking back up at Bruce, she saw the fear in his eyes before he brought the sword straight down on her._

* * *

Connor didn't know when she started screaming, but she couldn't stop. She was crying hysterically and she could feel her eyes glowing and her claws are out. All she could picture was the whole hall filled with blood and her teammates dead because of her.

She was sobbing loudly and still screaming at the same time when Tony and Pepper ran in; their floor was the one directly below Connor who had the top floor of the residential floors. Tony rushed over and tries to pull her into his arms but she was still not fully aware of her surroundings and lashed out, her claws almost slashing his neck but he managed to duck them. He backed up slightly and Pepper let out a gasp.

Her claws almost slashing Tony seemed to set her senses slightly back on track. She stopped thrashing around and despite still sobbing loudly, she allowed Tony to gather her into his arms this time and Pepper joins you both on the bed, Tony holding her while Pepper stroked Connor's hair, her cries still echoing around.

The rest of the team were at the bedroom door, and Connor could tell they were all still in their pyjamas too. There was a slight glint as she looked over at them, and saw that Clint had a gun clutched in his hand, having heard the girl screaming and had presumed the worst.

She paled slightly as she looked at it, remembering her dreams where Tony and Steve had shot her and walked away, leaving her for dead. Looking over at Bruce, she was brought back to the dream she had just woken up from where he had been forced to take her out because she had killed everyone. She remembered the other dreams she had been having, and in every single dream she had had, a different member of the team would kill her just as the dream ended. She had thought they would end but each morning she had been waking up with blood stained sheets and a blood stained body. No one had managed to notice it yet, but Tony was starting to notice the pay rise Connor was giving the cleaning staff.

The whole team noticed her going paler as she looked at Clint's gun and he tucked it into the waistband of his loose pants, concealing it from her sight. Connor seemed to regain a piece of colour with the gun out of her line of view but the rest of the team were confused as to why. She had handled a gun in many situations and even though she had been shot a lot, she had never held any fear towards the weapon.

Gradually the team moved in, Natasha taking over from Tony and Pepper as everyone helped to strip Connor's blood stained sheets. They still hadn't figured out what the source of the blood was until Natasha noticed the girl's thighs had blood on them, and her hands which still had her claws extending on them were coated in the blood. Natasha understood she must have been thrashing in her sleep and accidently took it out on herself.

Ushering everyone out of the room until it was just her and Connor, she led the shocked teenager into the bathroom, starting to run a shower for her. As Connor showered quickly to wash the blood off, Natasha had ran a bath in the large bathtub for Connor to sink into. She turned away as the teenager slipped into the water for privacy. Once she was covered by bubbles, Natasha turned back around. The spy sat beside the bath, looking at Connor's stoic face.

"How long Connor?" She asked softly but the teenage slightly shook her head, refusing to answer.

"Whittmore," Natasha said, slightly firmer and the eighteen year old sighed before avoiding eye contact with her friend.

"Since I got back two months ago. It's happened every night," she muttered, not wanting to see pity on Natasha's face.

After a moment of silence, she finally looked up and saw Natasha piecing it all together.

"It's us, isn't it?" The woman asked slowly, realisation setting in and Connor nodded, leaning her head against the wall behind her.

"You all kill me, in different ways, in different places and it's never the same," she muttered, not making eye contact with Natasha.

"It's why I found out about Clint's family. I try to avoid sleeping, so I stay awake and try to focus on anything, anywhere," she continued, now looking up into Natasha's shocked face, "and it hurts so much, and it never works. I dream every night, and every morning I wake up in blood, take my sheets to the cleaners personally and wash all the blood off my body." Connor continued and Natasha went to stop the girl but she kept talking.

"It's what HYDRA has done to me, they wanted me to turn against you, but I'm just losing myself more and more every day, and I'm not sure how much of me is going to be here by next week, or next month and it hurts so much!" Connor cried, her eyes shining slightly blue before returning to normal.

Natasha sat in silence as the teenager pulled herself out of the bath, drying off and pulling on clothes she had ready in the bathroom. She had started doing that because of the nightmares.

Connor walked upstairs to the large balcony outside the main Avengers living room in the tower, the team trying to not make it obvious their conversations died off as she walked through, but Connor didn't care.

As she sat outside, she could hear Natasha explaining it all to them. Reaching into the pocket of her jeans, she pulled out the small faded photograph she carried around with her at all times. It was the same one she had show Steve before the almost death. Her family all stood, their tattoos showing off proudly and Connor closed the photo, looking down at her own tattoo.

Connor's phone rang, so she pulled it out and answered it straight away.

"_You're a jerk_," she heard Coulson tell her through the phone.

"Yeah, whatever," she replied, not in the mood. He tried to inform her of their teams latest missions but Connor wasn't paying much attention, and all she managed to pick up was that Ward was crazier than usual, Bobbi almost died, Skye has powers, Trip died and Coulson lost an arm.

Connor realised something was wrong with her as she put the phone down. Her friend died while she was in a coma and she didn't care. She wasn't feeling anything; it was like she was numb. She wanted to say it was shock, but she wasn't even surprised.

She wasn't living anymore, she was just existing and there was nothing left for Connor. She had lost everything.

Storming back into the tower, she grabbed her jogging shoes from the ground, ignoring the looks of the rest of the team. She needed to run, she needed air.

* * *

Her feet pounded against the pavement, the rain cascading heavily down upon her. She wasn't sure where she was, but at this point she couldn't care. She watched as a bolt of lightning shot through the air and she knew it was Thor wanting her to come back.

She couldn't go back right now; she was fed up with the pitying looks she got from everyone. It had been happening her whole life, and it only got worse after her brother's death and now that the team knew about her nightmares, it wasn't going to get any better for her.

Connor ran until her stamina was lower than usual. There was one thing she wanted to do, and she hoped it might return her urge to feel something.

* * *

Ignoring the protests from the reception staff, Connor walked straight through the hospital and into the cancer ward, her hood up and sheltering her identity. As she walked into the ward, she was greeted by an angry nurse who had been called by the reception.

"Visiting hours are over, you're going to have to leave," the nurse started angrily, but Connor whipped her hood off, turning around to face the staff. They all paused, knowing why she was here. Everyone knew what she had done before she had been taken, she helped with the cancer.

"Let me help them."

* * *

"She's became a shell of what Connor used to be," Clint started, "you can't tell me that's what she needs!"

The rest of the team was silent. It had been three weeks since they had discovered Connor's nightmares and they were still happening. The girl would wake up screaming, covered in blood and would get washed and spend her time at hospitals. Even when she was at the hospitals she was emotionless, despite all the good she was doing.

Bruce looked at them all, knowing why she may be acting this way. "She mentioned HYDRA had tried to turn her against us, but think about it. This is destroying us, not physically like we thought, but mentally."

Thor simplified it. "Connor is the glue of the team!"

Everyone nodded, and Steve continued Bruce's line of thought. "Everything crumbles if you take away what holds it together. They wanted this to happen, they weren't turning her against us, they were teasing us with her!"

A sudden realisation crossed the whole team, and Tony turned to look at Bruce.

"No matter what she says, we're needing blood samples of her blood. If we compare them with the ones from her death, we'll know what is wrong – biology wise anyway." Tony ordered and Bruce agreed.

"What if she doesn't want you to take them?" Clint asked, knowing what they would have to do.

"We'll have to take them by force – it might save her life."


	6. Chapter 6

_So much blood. But it was only her in the room, and she knew that there would be no-one else present in her dream. The blood was cascading down her legs, her shorts letting her see where it was coming from._

_On her thigh, there was a large hole where skin should be. She blinked as something metal and oval shaped slid out of the gap, sinking into the blood that surrounded her. She grabbed on to it tightly, bringing it to her face and inspecting it._

_It was a small transmitter, and she could see the red logo of the octopus, HYDRA. Connor wasn't sure what she was doing but she flicked out her claws and dug the hole in her leg deeper, ignoring the pain and increased blood flow._

_She rammed the device deep into her leg and howled, her eyes flashing blue before the hole healed quicker than it should have. The pain stopped and she looked up to see herself in am mirror that was not there before._

_"They killed you. They're planning to kill you for real this time, watch them. Watch how they react when you come into a room. Connor, they're your murders. You will enter and they will operate on you Connor, they'll take your blood and then slit your throat," a voice whispered in her head and she nodded, believing every word the voice was now saying._

The dreams were making sense now. She washed the sheets, pulling on her hoodie and heading away from the bedroom.

* * *

Connor was out the door early again, leaving the team to eat their breakfast after her.

"Sir? I tested out the new scanner at the doors," JARVIS' voice rang through the room and Tony rolled his eyes as he rammed a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"And?" The billionaire questioned as the rest of the team ignored the conversation between the man and his AI.

"It works perfectly," JARVIS replied and Tony smirked, before JARVIS continued and everyone could tell the AI was not happy to explain the next part. "It was functioning when Miss Whittmore left this morning, and I think you should look at the scans, sir."

The team looked at each other exchanging confused glances. Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a micro projector before throwing it on the floor gently and a full 3D transparent model of Connor springing from the device and into the room.

They all watched as Tony and Bruce studied the model. JARVIS changed it so it was only her anatomy they could see, and Bruce instantly noticed what JARVIS was concerned about. He ran a hand down his face and grumbled to himself.

"What?" Steve asked, his tone worried. Bruce used his hands to zoom into the spot he was staring at just above Connor's knee.

He pointed out the small oval shape pressed against her bone above her kneecap. The team all looked at him in confusion but they knew it wasn't meant to be there.

"Son of a bitch," Tony spat out, noticing the oval. "It's a micro device. HYDRA used these years ago," he commented and the whole team let out groans and sighs, knowing that HYDRA had changed Connor's personality.

They all followed Tony over to his lab, the lights automatically turning on. He placed the small device under a microscopic lens and watched as it was scanned before it was brought up on the hologram projector again. He zoomed in and spun the image around before he saw what he was expecting.

"There," he pointed out, the HYDRA logo embedded into the metal. The team knew they were going to have to take it out.

Clint spoke up, remembering the way Connor's coat had changed colour from black to a grey. He hadn't mentioned it, but now he wondered if it was because of this chip.

"When Connor and I went on that mission," he started, using their alibi for visiting his brother's family, "her fur wasn't black. It was grey, maybe the chip changed it?" He questioned and it took the team a moment to process this before Steve snapped his fingers.

"Her family, their coats were all grey and she was the only one in generations to have black fur," Steve remembered from the stories Connor shared when she was getting her tattoo. His hand subconsciously travelled to the tattoo he had on his arm, silently promising he was going to do whatever he needed to do to get his Connor back.

Bruce looked around at the team. "We need to operate, and we need to get that chip out as soon as we can."

* * *

Connor walked into the tower, immediately noticing something was off. JARVIS did not greet her like he usually would do, but only spoke after she called out to him. His voice was more distant than usual and she recognised it as the tone he used if someone dangerous was talking to him. That stung.

_'Connor, they're using you. You know this isn't usual.'_

She arrived at the main floor, finding almost all of the team gathered around the table and talking in hushed tones. They noticed her come in and the conversation ended straight away, causing the nagging voice to come straight back.

_'You saw that Connor, they're going to take your blood and kill you.'_

Natasha stood up, walking towards her with a fake smile on her face. Connor had seen her use that smile many times on unsuspecting victims but she never thought she would be on the end of it. There was a moment where she glanced over to Thor, and her eyes instantly caught on to the fact his hand was grasped around his hammer like he was expecting a fight to break out any second.

She could see Clint's hand resting over his belt, but Connor knew from his training that he had a gun in the waistband of whatever pants he would be wearing that day. Steve's shield was propped up on the table and that was the turning point for her.

Smiling fakely back at Natasha, she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Natasha, what are you doing?" She ground out, the assassin shrugging and acting like she didn't know what Connor was talking about. Moving forward, the woman hugged Connor and the teenager paused before letting her arms hug the redhead back.

As Natasha pulled away, Connor felt a sharp prick in her shoulder and felt the back, pulling the syringe out of her shoulder. The doze had been quick and it was empty of any contents.

_'I warned you. They're going to operate on you and KILL YOU!'_

She snarled, her eyes instantly turning blue and her canines growing sharper. Her breaths became shorter due to her anger and Natasha moved backwards, pulling her gun out as the rest of the team had instantly armed themselves.

_'SHIFT! SHIFT NOW!'_

Connor complied with the voice, her bones tingling as she lurched, her body turning into the wolf. She snarled, but her front legs gave away and she hit the floor, struggling to push herself up. She could feel her bones click as she was forced to shift back and she could taste blood in her mouth.

Looking up through hazy eyes at her so called team, she watched as they moved to pick her up. Her eyes met with Tony as they placed her onto a hospital bed, Tony and Bruce with medical surgeon gear on. A bright light shone in her eyes.

She looked over at Tony, who sent her a reassuring smile but she couldn't return it.

"I trusted you..." she wheezed out, her eyes closing as the horse tranquilizer they were using on her shut her down. One last thing entered her thoughts.

_'I told you so.'_

* * *

Bruce took a deep breath as he entered the tweezers into the small indent they had made in their friend's leg, trying to latch on to the small oval. As he felt the tweezers scrap her bone, he had to hold in a gag. The small oval peeled off like it was a sticker and he slowly removed the tweezers, the device pinned between the metal.

Dumping it on to the small dish Tony had been holding, the doctor composed himself before moving over to start stitching up her wound. He watched as the stitches held the skin tightly together but he knew that the wolf would heal on her own quick enough.

Tony made sure all her monitors were in place and placed the oxygen mask over her mouth and nose, brushing the hair away from her head as he placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. He composed himself and took the small oval away and back to the lab so he could decrypt it and find out what its purpose actually was.

Bruce cleaned his hands of her blood before a soft knock on the door brought his attention to Steve. The super-soldier was clearly trying to make himself seem smaller, and his eyes softened once he took in Connor's form lying on the bed.

"Can I stay?" He asked Bruce sheepishly and the man nodded, motioning to the chair already beside her bed. He didn't want to stay around, seeing Connor like that and being the one who operated was too much stress for him to handle at the moment.

Bruce closed the door behind him, although it was practically useless as all the walls and door were made from glass and were therefore transparent. Steve clutched on to Connor's hand, noticing how clammy it was. His eyes were focused on the thick bandages wrapped around her leg, hiding the stitches and cut from him. He was grateful.

Knowing Connor was going to be fine helped ease him. They had lost the girl too many times to HYDRA now, and she was not going to go again. He rummaged into his pocket and pulled out his iPod, plugging it into the small speaker at the end of the room and turning on Connor's favourite artist. Maybe it would help her adjust.

Soon enough his head found the edge of her bed, his hand still grasping hers.

* * *

_Darkness surrounded Connor. It wasn't as intimidating as it had been in her other dreams. There was a white couch in the middle of the nothingness, and she approached it before slowly sinking down onto it. Her aching muscles clenched slightly but she relaxed._

_As she sat, the couch dipped and she turned to her left to see a large grey wolf sitting on the couch beside her. She knew it was Theo instantly. She also knew this was a hallucination, Theo was dead and she knew she was alive._

_He shifted back, and his eyes were shining blue. She sniffed a bit before opening her mouth._

_"You were HYDRA," she stated and he shrugged, not knowing a response._

_"Everyone was. I know HYDRA was wrong, that's why I left and you found me. I don't blame you Connor, I know you didn't kill me." Connor shook her head angrily, wiping away at the tears down her face._

_"I did kill you!"_

_"No, that Asgardian did. Connor you were the only one in our family destined for greatness, but things were always in play for you to get there. My death was one. Don't lose the light you have," he ordered before standing up and walking away._

_Connor was confused but she yelled after him. "Why is my fur grey?"_

_He laughed but didn't turn around as he continued walking away. "There was an implant chip. Think about it," he yelled over his shoulder._

_As he got further away, the more light headed she became._

* * *

Connor was all too quickly aware of a hand grasping on to her hand, and she could feel a gentle weight pressed against her side. Her eyes opened slowly, and it took her a moment to adjust to the bright lights of the medical room.

Using her spare hand, she removed the oxygen mask across her face. She looked down to see Steve's head was rested against her side and she smiled slightly before remembering they had all attacked her.

Her heartbeat increases and the monitor started to beep louder and a warning sound was released from the machine. The soldier released her hand and woke up, springing to attention. The rest of the team rushed in, having heard the warning sounds. They all looked at Connor to find her pressed against the back of the bed, a look of fear and betrayal plastered across her face.

As Natasha moved forward to comfort the girl, she withdrew into herself more and flinched as the woman reached out a hand to her. They all slowed their movements and realisation set in.

Connor may have been under the influence of HYDRA, but she still thought they attacked her and tried to kill her. Her eyes were darting between all six of them and the loaded bow in Clint's hands.

Ignoring everyone's requests and Connor's frightened glances, Thor moved quickly towards the girl, hoping if he was able to comfort her she would understand.

He didn't get close enough. Connor shifted, balancing on the edge of the bed with her teeth bared at them all. She snarled and snapped at Thor who cautiously moved backwards.

Bruce looked over at her, not taking his eyes off her as he spoke to the rest of the team. "It's a defence mechanism, like a reflex is to us. She's not going to shift back unless she feels safe," he explained to them all.

Tony ushered them all out of the room, before he re-entered despite everyone's protests. He sat down at the other side of the bed, ignoring Connor's barks and snarls at him.

She started to howl but he rolled his eyes. "Shut up, you oversized husky," he ordered and Connor stopped howling, confused.

"Listen here, you little brat,".


	7. Chapter 7

_**Just to clarify, the timeline is pretty mixed up. Age of Ultron had not yet occurred, but the Agents of SHIELD finale has occurred. Therefore, Connor will not be a part of the Season 2 finale. She will be a part of AOU however. Bear in mind she is now eighteen, and she's matured a lot from the beginning of WTWC. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story since then, you guys are awesome! Fun fact: I had UMA THURMAN by FALL OUT BOY on repeat while I wrote this chapter. Has nothing to do with the chapter, but good song. This is a lighter chapter than the previous ones, and is set a few weeks after the previous one.**_

* * *

It took longer than Connor liked to admit to become able to fully trust her team. She knew why they had done what they had done, removing the implant chip basically saved her life and she was back to her almost normal self.

The nightmares had stopped, and her reactions and moods were back to normal. She was a lot more collected now, her temper now being easier to keep in check.

It took her much longer to stop the automatic flinch every time one of her team would touch her on the shoulder without her expecting it. It took her longer to get over the fact she had almost lost control again.

It was her own fault partially. She hadn't shifted in weeks, not since she had met Clint's sister-in-law and her family. It always had been harder to control without shifting frequently. Her fur was back to black, any grey from the past few months now being fully gone.

She knew it was because of the chip, but it although she thought it would feel like she was losing her family all over again, it felt much better. It was like a weight off her shoulders and Connor was much happier knowing she wouldn't have to continue the family legacy – especially when it's true colours had been revealed to Connor recently with the HYDRA revelation.

There was a healing process for the teenager, where Tony had suggested she open up to a therapist if she wasn't going to open up to any of them. She obviously did not choose the therapist route.

Although it was hard at first as she didn't trust the woman, she opened up to Natasha. Connor would spend her Thursday nights on Natasha's floor of the tower, with Pepper and Maria joining them. The four would put on a random film while they shared food and gossip.

Connor would let off whatever was in her mind, and everyone would discuss it in a friend to friend way before the topic would be moved on to lighter stories (and Connor's favourite ones were the stories from missions that went weird – especially the one where Clint had been asked to get a cat out of a tree instead of catching the leader of the crime team they were trying to catch).

In their spare time, Natasha and Connor would go shopping – especially as when Connor trained with Natasha when shifted, she was ripping the agent's clothes to pieces – and would occasionally meet up with other friends such as Pepper, Maria, Jane and Connor was yet to meet up with May and the team but she knew she would have to make a visit soon.

Pepper had also helped Connor set up a public presence again. She hadn't done any interviews or anything, but she had started a school programme. Connor would visit high schools and join in on lessons for a laugh, while also helping to show teenagers that even the hardest of things were easy to overcome.

And that was where Connor was currently. She hadn't really had a proper education beyond freshman year, and it showed. She was in a biology class, joking around with the teacher and the pupils before there was a pop quiz on the human body, leaving Connor hopeless. After the whole class got a kick out of Connor's nice percentage of 12%, the teacher revealed another friendly pop quiz but on the anatomy of a wolf. The class got an even bigger laugh when Connor cheered, and managed to get 100%.

It was strange for the teenager being around teenagers that were a year or so younger than her (some were eighteen too) especially as they had a life that was so different than hers. She was constantly taking selfies with the teenagers who would tell her that they were going to upload them to twitter and Instagram. She knew what social media sites were but she hadn't thought much about them but the excitement around them made her want to try it.

After leaving the biology class, she headed straight to the football field outside, knowing that she was going to enjoy the physical parts of the school tour. There was a football practice going on, she could also see a few other teams for various sports out training such as soccer, lacrosse and she was approaching the cheerleading squad.

She introduced herself to the coach who beamed as Connor told her that the routine was looking good – although Connor had no clue if it was a good routine or not, she wasn't sure what a good routine actually looked like but it impressed her so she presumed it was good. Connor was surprised when she was invited to learn the routine with the cheerleaders who loved having her there, and she surprisingly was able to actually do it.

Having been trained with intense flexibility attacks by Natasha, Connor found it easy to do the flips across the ground with little ease, and the whole squad cheered her on. She took more selfies and group photos with the cheerleaders before the coach of the soccer team was leading her away and telling her about the progress of the team.

* * *

Connor was exhausted by the time she got back to the tower. She had joined in on training sessions with the teams, and had taken a group photo with the senior class of the school she had visited. It was their last few weeks of school ever and she had decided to finally use some of the money that Tony was constantly adding to an account for her to use so she had decided to pay completely for the school's prom. It wasn't anything big to her but the student body and faculty were ecstatic.

The teenager collapsed on to the couch, turning on her STARK laptop and smiling as the rest of the team laughed at her. She rolled her eyes and continued typing away on the laptop as Tony turned on the news, all of the Avengers laughing as it showed Connor visiting the school and her training with the different teams.

Connor eventually stopped typing and shut her laptop with a deep grin before picking it up and sauntering off to her room, smirking to herself as she went. Clint was the only one out of the team who actually noticed and he was freaking out slightly.

"She's planning something evil!" He screeched once she was up a few floors and in her room. The rest of the team burst out laughing at his paranoia but Clint wasn't accepting their denial. "Whittmore is doing something evil!" He continued but no one paid his theories any attention.

She appeared back in the room ten minutes later, with no laptop and her STARK phone plastered into her hands. Clint perched on the edge of the couch, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he was expecting a bucket of custard or something to come crashing down on him any second.

Connor grinned at him, quirking an eyebrow and moving round to the bar, pouring herself a coke. Clint pointed to her frantically and the team rolled their eyes. They still hadn't seen her planning expressions.

The teenager typed something on her phone before giving it a final tap and locking it, smirking as Tony's phone beeped with a notification. He picked it up, his eyes scanning the screen and he spluttered out the water he was drinking, coughing as he stared down at the phone.

'_**connorwhittmore: squad goals'.**_

It was a tweet, with a picture attached and the team were shocked that Connor had actually made a twitter without them actually noticing. Clint squinted at the picture and rolled his eyes, not believing he actually had missed her taking the photo.

Everyone was sitting around the table, Thor's hammer and Cap's shield on full display on the table because they had been demonstrating that maybe Thor wasn't worthy enough for everything. Somehow Steve's SHIELD had been brought up (despite the fact anyone could pick it up). Clint was perched on the side of a chair, while Natasha and Steve were laughing over something. Thor was in a discussion with Bruce and Tony.

The whole team looked at her with narrowed eyes, Connor laughing as she sat the finished glass of cola into the washer. She noticed their narrowed eyes and gulped slightly, her laughter dying down before she darted towards the door, the team hot on her heels.

Connor laughed as they chased her throughout the tower, with Tony and Bruce eventually stopping to catch breath, and Thor stopping to go talk to Jane. The second Jarvis mentioned the scientist was calling, Thor had literally sprinted in the opposite direction.

The teenager apologized to staff as she rushed past them, the three ex-SHIELD members hot on her heels. She scoffed and shifted, her pace increasing dramatically. Connor barked over her shoulder, knowing they wouldn't be able to keep up with her now.

She hadn't expected Tony and his suit to fly towards her, swooping her up and carrying her away. She probably should have seen it coming.

* * *

After a long chat about sharing embarrassing photos of Clint on the internet, Connor was given free-reign of the social media. She didn't use it apart from the occasional update of her school programme. Pepper (who was already in charge of Tony's social media accounts) eventually would take the accounts away from the girl after one too many complaints from Clint.

It was fun for a day, but she was an Avenger and there were still battles for her to fight.

* * *

Natasha passed Connor the small shot glass full of the purple liquid. The teenager grimaced before downing it in one, feeling the effects immediately.

Tony and Bruce had been spending a lot of time together in the lab recently, Tony having made hundreds of mini suits to use for crowd control when they went on missions. Bruce had also been working on a serum that Connor could use while training to stimulate what it would be like without her powers.

Natasha, Steve and Clint were helping her to improve her hand to hand combat, making sure that she was going to be much safer now that they had almost lost her multiple times. Connor didn't mind the fuss they were all making of her; it meant she got to spend more time with them all.

She wasn't going to lie though; one of her favourite parts of the new training regime was the training when she was allowed her powers. Tony had designed advanced training obstacle courses for her to try, and the rest of the team would time her to see if she was improving.

The wolf was faster on her feet than ever, and the girl was too. She had been working on the half-shift, where her claws would flick out and her eyes would glow. It didn't take them long to figure she ran faster than the average person (which annoyed Sam to no end).

Her new meditation techniques were helping her tempter to simmer, and she was a lot more relaxed around strangers. The team welcomed the new change, knowing it was better for Connor. There was something about the way she carried herself when she walked that was interesting for everyone to watch, and it ended up with Tony and Bruce running a few small tests using members of the public and staff.

It had been a joke made by Nat that every time Connor walked into a room with strangers, the whole room would come to an almost halt and everyone would stare at her in awe. Connor had laughed it off but after constant social experiments, Bruce and Tony were actually able to prove this was an actual thing that occurred around strangers.

Of course, that made it easier for Rhodey to convince the President she was not a threat but a great asset to the United States. It also somehow made it easier for Connor to be assigned as the President's personal body guard for his current speech.

And there she was, standing beside the President as he stood outside the white house, Connor dressed in all black with two guns strapped to her thigh holsters and one in the back of her bullet proof vest. Connor was pretty sure it was the highest honour she was ever going to receive.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Just a quick note, some of the things in the AOS Season 2 finale have not happened in this story – mainly just the end bits with May leaving and Simmons being sucked into that portal thing (btw what the heck happened?). Bobbi has stayed at SHIELD, and Coulson had one arm but he now has two (explained here). Skye's father is also still gone.**_

* * *

Having learned about Clint's brother's family all those months ago, Connor was quick to discover it was a very helpful benefit of knowing.

Her visits to the farm became weekly, using it as a quick rest stop when she went out to visit Coulson and his team. The Avengers were starting to get concerned about her frequent disappearances to visit "May's" team, despite Fury insisting to them it was on SHIELD business – everyone clearly could see it was personal.

So there she was, her leather pants and grey t-shirt making her seem more intimidating than usual compared to her bright colours normally. She had arrived at the base, having driven there herself in the matte black Audi that Tony had bought for her after she had finished her small time as a member of the presidential security team. Connor had parked the car and finished her regular scans before she was allowed entry into the base.

The second the doors slid open, Connor found herself wrapped in a tight bear hug, a grin forming on her face as she wrapped her arms around the taller woman. Connor could sense the happiness radiating from the scientist and as she pulled back, Simmons gleamed at her.

"I can't believe it's taken you months to come see us!" The scientist scolded the wolf. "We thought you were dead Connor!" The teenager shrugged sheepishly, not wanting to explain the whole HYDRA dreams thing more than once so she would wait until everyone was together before she actually went into detail.

She was also going to have to talk to Coulson about how difficult it was becoming for her to get away from the Avengers, and that maybe it was time they deserved to know their friend was alive. Connor wasn't looking forward to the aftermath of it but she had promised the team there would be no more secrets.

Connor was about to turn the corner and head into the lab to see Fitz, having told Simmons she would catch up with the woman later. The girl thought about just entering and surprising him but Connor loved to take it a step further when it came to Fitz. Cracking her neck, Connor shifted into her wolf form and smirking to herself as she felt her eyes glow blue.

Ignoring the confused looks from the other agents walking around the base, Connor pressed herself into the shadows of the corridors as she slunked around the corner and into the lab. As Fitz had his back to her, Connor launched upwards and on to the medical bench Fitz was currently using. The engineer spun around, with a wrench in his hand before he spotted the huge black wolf sitting on his paperwork.

He opened his mouth and let out a shrill scream of fright, and within moments a few agents rushed in with their guns raised. Seeing the wolf they lowered their guns and Connor shifted back, doubling over at the look on Fitz's face. He smacked her on the head and playfully scowled at her.

"Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" Connor grinned as she turned to the door, Skye leaning against the frame and smirking at her. The eighteen year old couldn't help herself from running and colliding into a massive hug with the agent. She had always been closest to Skye; there was something that connected them.

Skye ruffled her hair jokingly before Connor shook her head and moved away, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Now that you've got powers, I think it's time we go a few rounds," Connor challenged and Fitz groaned loudly, turning to the newly arrived Lance and Bobbi. They laughed, having heard Connor's challenge and Bobbi shook her head at the teenager.

"You'd be surprised Whittmore, you can't handle it!" Lance joked and Connor flicked her claws out, smirking at them all.

"Only one way to find out," she replied.

So that was that. They all headed outside, with May, Simmons and Mack joining them on their small walk. A few other agents tagged along, everyone couldn't wait to see where this was going to end up. Connor was known for being sloppy in her fighting and relying on her gifts so everyone presumed Skye was going to take her out easily.

Stretching her muscles, Connor threw her jacket to Lance who caught it with minimal effort and rolled his eyes while doing so. The girl half-shifted, her claws flicking out and her eyes shining blue as Skye straightened up, her hands in a defensive position.

Waiting for May's signal to start, Connor threw herself forward and dodged Skye's first attack easily. As they casually sparred at first, the older agents could all tell she had been receiving extra training from Romanoff as some of the moves that the teenager was using had only ever been used by the Russian.

As Connor started to get the upper hand, Skye flicked her hand out towards the girl and she went soaring through the air, crashing into a tree. The older agent panicked as it took Connor a second to move in fear that she had actually hurt her friend but the girl stood up, grinning before she jumped forward, shifting into her wolf form and throwing her weight at Skye.

She pinned the girl down and lightly placed her teeth against the girls neck and that was it. Knowing that if it had been a real fight, Connor would have ripped out Skye's throat, the match was declared won by Connor much to everyone's amazement.

After some heartfelt reunions from May and the others, Connor went out on her search for the man she was originally here to see: Coulson.

She found him in his office, staring out the window with a smile on his face.

"Romanoff must really care about you to share her secrets of the trade," he decided, hearing her enter. Connor scoffed as she studied his body language.

"We both know she does, Phil," Connor noted before the man turned around to face the teenager with a sigh.

"I know why you're here," he started and Connor's eyebrows shot up, not having expected him to understand why she was here for that. He smiled softly at her as he sat down and motioned for her to do the same.

"I've been thinking about telling them too, you know?" He started and Connor nodded to reassure him they were on the same boat here. "I wanted to discuss with you first however, when I should do it?"

Connor shrugged before giving him her honest answer. "Now," she simply said, a small smile on her mouth. "They've waited too long Phil, there wasn't even a fake funeral. They never really mourned you like they had to do with me, but my god, they all miss you."

Coulson nodded before he seemed to have an internal battle with himself. He suddenly snatched up the phone beside him and rang a number, Connor smiling at the voice on the other end.

"Maria Hill speaking," Coulson grinned and prepared a snarky comment but was interrupted. "Phil, I know it's you. You take too long to think up comments."

Connor burst out laughing and Maria scoffed down the line, muttering how she should have known that was where Connor had been disappearing away to recently.

"It's time to tell the Avengers." He said seriously, and the line was silent before Maria's grin could almost be heard down the phone.

"Assemble?" She asked and Coulson agreed before hanging up.

Connor looked the man up and down once more before smirking at him. "I thought you said you lost an arm?" The man scoffed before turning to her, a smirk on his lips.

"Helen Cho: amazing scientist."

* * *

It was quite dramatic to say the least.

Coulson had been running around frantically for the past few hours, making sure everything was in its correct places and making sure no-one was doing anything they weren't meant to be doing (and that meant Skye and Connor had to stop playing their game of catching malteasers in their mouths – and just because Coulson was walking away did not mean he couldn't see them) which meant the rest of the team had minimal to do.

Maria had told the Avengers it was time for them to meet the new director of SHIELD, and they were also aware Connor was already there and knew who the director was. After a long phone call with Nat, Connor confirmed to the team that the Avengers were definitely on their way towards the new base. Despite Natasha's demand to inform her who it was they were meeting, Connor did not spill a word (although if she had, she was pretty sure Coulson was monitoring everyone's calls at this point, he was freaking out about seeing the team again).

As Coulson's team gathered in the common area, the man in speaking almost had a fit when he walked in. Fitz, Simmons and Lincoln were on the three person couch talking about different types of monkeys (despite Lincoln and Simmons' not showing much interest) , Skye and Lance were playing fetch with a shifted Connor where the wolf was knocking over mugs and people in an attempt to get the ball, while May, Mack and Bobbi were having a pleasant discussion in the kitchen area of the room.

Everyone stopped what they were doing when Coulson walked in, ready to give the 'Avengers are legends' speech to the team for the fifth time that day – despite Connor being an Avenger, she still had to listen to it – and the man narrowed his eyes.

They immediately flickered to the wolf, Skye and Lance, the latter who had just released the ball from his hand and it smashed a glass on a table. Connor shifted back straight away, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly and the three flinched slightly waiting on him to yell.

Just as his mouth opened, Connor tilted her head and a grin slammed on to her face before cutting him off. Her hearing could pick up the faint noises of Tony bickering with Clint and she spun to face everyone.

"They're here!"

* * *

Connor greeted her team at the entrance of the plane hangar, Clint having flown the Quinjet in instead of a longer car journey.

She introduced them to Coulson's team first, explaining that May's team was actually the new SHIELD director's team without mentioning it was Coulson's team. It was pretty confusing for Connor but she got there in the end.

Fitz and Simmons almost fainted during a conversation with Bruce when the scientist told them their joint work had been very useful in his recent discoveries. Natasha caught up with Bobbi and May while Clint caught up with Lance and Mack. Tony was immediately drawn to Lincoln after hearing about his electrical powers and Steve was chatting casually to Skye.

Connor smiled as they all got along smoothly before she turned on her heel to fetch Coulson, who had sprinted out of the room almost to change ties or something once she had announced they had arrived.

As the two walked towards the two teams, Connor placed a soft hand on Coulson's back.

"You've got this," she reassured as they stood outside the doors. He nodded and took a breath before he opened the doors, doing it straight away so he didn't lose his ten seconds of courage and back out.

There was an abrupt silence from the Avengers as they spotted Coulson standing beside Connor.

Connor didn't need her senses to tell her that Natasha and Clint were hurt, but she could feel it radiating off them. Luckily, they were also radiating happiness that their handler was alive after all this time. Bruce looked delighted and Steve was shaking his head, holding in a laugh of admiration for the courage the man had to show himself after all this time.

Tony was the one to break the silence, scoffing and patting the director on the back. "You lucky son of a -". Steve cut him off by walking over and shaking the man's hand.

Clint grabbed the man in a bro hug, slapping him on the back while laughing. Coulson sighed at the reaction from the team, having thought they would be angry with him and Connor. He turned to look at Natasha as she approached, her expression unreadable. She paused in front of him for a second before bringing her fist back and slamming it into his face.

He stumbled slightly and placed a hand on his cheek but shrugged as he turned back to the Russian. She smiled at him. "That was for keeping us in the dark," she started before she hugged him. "And that was for being alive," she finished.

As the team reconciled with Coulson, Skye turned to look at Connor with a grin on her face. "I want a rematch but with a catch – no powers," she challenged and the whole room paused to let out a cheer. Connor shook her hand, and just like that morning, they headed to the outside training pad.

While the team got settled, Connor looked around and smiled to herself. Everything was finally coming together.


	9. Chapter 9

**_GH9_**

**_And here it is, the beginning of age of Ultron!_**

**_/./_**

Connor shifted back once she had successfully entered the HYDRA base, raising one hand to secure her earpiece and using the other to pull out her dad's old gun. She raised it as she let her eyes shine to improve her eyesight in the darkness of the building.

She could faintly hear her team approaching the building through the receiver.

"Shit!" Tony yelled and Connor could hear his metal suit bouncing off of something.

"Language," Connor scoffed, moving into the shadows as s group of soldiers ran past her with their guns out and ready to take on her team. "Jarvis, what's the view from upstairs?" Steve continued, ignoring the girl's scoff.

"The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other HYDRA base we've taken," Jarvis informed the team before Thor voiced everyone else's thoughts.

"Loki's sceptre must be here! Strucker couldn't mount his defence without it!" Connor still hadn't realised that her team hadn't realised she was actually inside the building and past the defences.

"That long last is lasting a little long boys," Natasha snarked and Connor was sure she could hear a bone break.

"Yeah, think we lost the element of surprise," Clint quirked back and everyone could hear Tony's disbelief.

"Wait a second; is no one else going to deal with the fact that cap just said 'language'?"

Connor interrupted Steve's reply as she heard more HYDRA agents approaching her spot.

"Guys, you do realise I'm in the base, right?" She checked, but the exclamations of surprise did not provide the wolf with any comfort whatsoever.

"How?" Tony complained, not understanding why she could get in.

Connor shrugged as she replied, before she remembered they couldn't see it, "I dug a hole and crawled through." There was a moment of silence before Tony started muttering to himself.

"Oh, of course you did!"

Clint joined in, "Leave a dog alone for one minute-".

Connor reached up to her receiver and started taking it off.

"You're making too much noise," she moaned before crushing it with the heel of her boot. She still had her pulse tracker on which was connected to Tony's suit so he could still keep an eye on her vitals and would know if she was in danger.

She moved forward slowly, her glowing blue eyes causing the dark hallway to become easier for her to see. Having not been able to access any of the base blueprints before they came, Connor wasn't in the least bit sure where she was actually going. As she edged forward, her gun clutched in both hands, she closed her eyes for a second while she focused on her hearing.

A few corridors away she could hear muttering between what she could only guess as being two people, a male and a female, who didn't sound to be much older than her. She held her gun tighter, feeling her heart rate increase ever so slightly, the way it always did when she started a new trail. Almost like how a wolf hunts its prey. There was something rare and alluring about the voices, feeling a predatoriness urge revealing itself from inside of her chest.

Connor reached the door of the small room where she could hear the mutterings from, wrapping her hand tighter around the gun until her knuckles were now starting to turn white before she lifted her leg and slamming it into the door. The door flew open, and it was then Connor caught sight of the twins standing in the centre. It was certainly not what Connor had been expecting, and they clearly hadn't been expecting her either.

They spun around to face her, but the second their eyes met Connor's, something strange happened to them all. Connor lowered the gun, feeling a sudden wave over her that just made her think she had known these twins before. There was something so familiar about them but she knew she had never seen them in her life, or at least, not that she could remember.

There was something in the way they studied her so carefully, something in the way they held themselves but more importantly, she had realised where she knew them from. A small photograph album her father had made over the years, with photos of the people him and Connor's mother had saved when they were old aid helpers in countries at war, only a few years after she was born.

She didn't know who these twins were, but she was now connected to their story and she wasn't sure how. Her HYDRA parents had saved these twins when they were younger, and it was like she was reliving a memory.

Connor couldn't do anything to help her parents, but she could do something to help these twins from making the mistake the rest of her family had made when they paired up with the organisation that had almost made her lose everything she loved. Placing the gun in the holder around her thigh, she moved one hand closer towards the two.

They watched her carefully, not sure of what her intentions were. The twins knew who she was, and who she worked with. She wasn't to be trusted in their eyes, she was Tony Stark's lapdog. Literally.

There was a loud explosion, causing them all to turn their attention to the door as a few crumbles of dirt fell from the roof above them. Connor spun back round to face them, to make a plea to them but it was too late. She had lost her chance.

Before she could do anything, the boy had swiftly picked up his sister and took off, leaving a faint trail of blue and Connor standing alone in a dark room.

In the corner of her eye, a reflection of light caught her attention.

/./

Tony jumped to the side as a Leviathan charged past him, causing him to spin around to keep it in his eyesight. He wasn't expecting this.

Around him was his team. Natasha was sprawled out on her side, blood around her and Tony could see some puncture wounds on her catsuit - not taking in to account the shape of the slashes. Bruce was behind her, still hulked out and with multiple arrows sticking through his body; Tony took a deep breath as the green man slowly stopped moving. Clint was almost sitting upright, his own arrows stuck into his body and if Tony hadn't realised they were all dead, he would have thought the man was just praying or something. Along from the archer, Thor was sprawled out facing upwards. There was no rise of his chest either.

The last was the captain, lying beside his shield. Or, what was left of it. The classic vibranium shield was cracked into two pieces, something that should be physically impossible to have happened. The man himself was lying on his back, almost looking like he was sleeping.

Tony darted forward, pressing his fingers to the Captain's neck to search for a pulse. There was a moment's pause before Steve's hand lurched upwards and grabbed tightly on to Tony's wrist. The man watched on in panic as the soldier's voice came out in breaths.

"You...could...have...saved...us..." he choked out before his hand fell to the ground limp and his eyes faded into a dull shade of death.

Even though the man's lips did not move, Tony could hear him asking why he didn't do more to help them. He stared around at his friends, tears in his eyes as he took in the scene. He ran a hand through his hair as his eyes darted around them all.

And it was in that moment, he noticed there was no sign of Connor.

As he scanned the area one more, he coughed as a stabbing pain seared through his back, causing him to fall to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth.

She circled him, her eyes shining a dark red, like they had when she was kidnapped by HYDRA. Connor laughed as she lightly placed her claws against his neck. He could see in the fair light that her white shirt was coated in blood, and there was a look of hunger across her face as she smirked down at the dying man.

"There's a reason why the Tsilhqot'in people fear wolves," she spat before her hand sped towards his neck.

/./

Tony's eyes snapped open, and he let out a shaky breath as he noticed he was back with the sceptre and the Leviathan was still hanging behind him.

He took a breath before holding out his hand, calling his suit and eying up the sceptre. He swung his metal hand towards Loki's stick and picked it up, holding the powerful object tightly in his grasp.

As he grabbed it, the rest of his suit formed around his body. He noticed the teams positions before pressing the high frequency whistle on the side of his suit. Connor would hear it if she was listening out.

/../

They all got in to the jet, Natasha and Bruce stabilising Clint while they waited on Connor to appear. There was no reason as to why she shouldn't have appeared yet, the team not knowing about Connor's interaction with the enhanced twins that left her so shocked.

Clint had been the first to encounter the twins and the whole team had been informed there was enhanced on the field. It was the only HYDRA base that had even had any sign of enhanced individuals, so naturally they were slightly confused as to what had happened.

As the team was starting to get worried, Connor slunked on to the plane with her four paws treading carefully across the ground, like nails had been scattered and she was trying to avoid getting one in her paw.

The team didn't ask why she wasn't shifted back. It was an undisclosed rule: if Connor was shifted, don't talk about it. She brushed past Bruce and the scientist almost stubbled at the force she was storming to the small hidden compartment at the side of the jet.

The compartment was originally meant for storing items like medical kits or boxes, and wasn't big enough for a human to fit in. However, in her wolf state, Connor could fit in quite comfortably and if she angled her body correctly, she could tuck her head into her fur and not have to even face the rest of the team.

When she did this, the team knew she had been affected by something she had seen back at the compound. Natasha decided she would ask later, as they all knew Connor probably wouldn't open up to anyone else.

It was going to be a long plane ride.

/../

Clint was rushed into Dr Cho's care as soon as the plane landed, with Natasha following closely. Bruce headed for the lab with Thor holding the sceptre, while Tony and Steve stayed in the jet to finish parking it up.

As Connor paced out of the jet, Maria smiled at the wolf. "Afternoon Connor," the woman chirped but was shocked when the wolf let out a short snarl and flashed her eyes blue in annoyance before stalking away and presumably up to her floor to cool off.

/./

"The enhanced?" Steve asked Maria as he took of his gloves and headed towards the lifts.

Maria handed him a tablet before answering his question. "Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins." Steve watched the clip of the two teenagers screaming along with the rest of the civillians.

"Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building," she paused before looking over at the man, "they're the same age as Connor, a few months older."

Steve looked up at her again. "Their abilities?"

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation." She explained before noticing the confused look on his face.

"He's fast and she's weird," she summed up.

Steve shook his head before thinking about how messed up Connor seemed after entering that facility. He had put pieces together and was just presuming she had an encounter with the twins while she was searching the facility for them.

"I think Connor ran into them, she's been off since we lost contact with her during the takedown," Steve explained, making sure Maria knew it wasn't just her Connor was ratty with. The woman nodded before he continued talking.

"Well, they're going to show up again."

"Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments, it's nuts."

Steve stepped into the lift, turning around and giving Maria a blank look as he pressed the buttons. "Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?"

Maria sighed. "We're not at war Captain."

"They are," he finished before the lift doors shut and Maria was left in silence, thinking about it.

/./

Connor sat on the top floor balcony, looking down into the main floor where she could see all the guests partying with the rest of her team. She picked up the small book she had dug out from her last remaining possessions that her parents had owned. She ran a light hand along the leather cover, thinking about how everything was starting to always link her back to HYDRA.

She looked over at her tattoo before opening the book, being greeted with a photo of her and her family. She hadn't looked at this book since they had died, and it was almost straight away she was seeing the HYDRA indications. Her father had the symbol on his jacket for crying out loud!

Flicking through the book quickly and trying to get the image out of her head, she found the photo she had been looking for. It was the Maximoff twins standing with her mother, and her mother was handing them what resembled a small business card. Connor didn't wait to assume it was one of the HYDRA recruiting cards she had seen when undercover there. It wasn't so obvious that it said HYDRA on it, but it described HYDRA in a light view and had a number with a fake company name.

Her parents had told the twins to go to HYDRA. It was her family's fault (of course, it wasn't Connor's family that made the twins volunteer - but Connor didn't know that, so she did what she did best: blame herself).

She watched as the party started to dim down, making sure she picked up her old metal cuffs that restricted her powers before moving to head downstairs. As she reached the lift, she snapped the bands on to her wrists, not wanting to be able to feel the emotions radiating from her friends. She wasn't in the mood for feeling anything after having to think about the things her family had done.

Once she walked in to the room, she was greeted by the whole team and a few friends all talking about Thor's hammer. Natasha nudged Clint slightly as Connor entered the room, her eyes briefly snapping on to the bands around Connor's wrists.

It was then Natasha knew something really severe was affecting the girl. She had never tried to block out everything after something had went wrong on a mission, sure she had curled up and ignored them on the jet - but this, this wasn't right.

Natasha excused herself, settling the conversation slightly as the team noticed Connor's metal cuffs.

As the teenager passed through the room and away into the kitchen area, Natasha followed her and shut the door of the kitchen so Connor couldn't avoid her.

The teenager knew the woman had followed her, so she spun around, her arms crossed. "What do you want Natasha?" She said with so much anger, Natasha almost felt intimidated by the shapeshifter.

"What happened Connor, you're eating yourself up here."

The teenage girl sighed before moving out of her defensive posture. "They're what I could have been if my family wasn't dead."

Natasha didn't say anything; there was nothing she could do apart from embrace the girl, letting her know she was not alone.

As the red head hugged the teenager, she could feel something in the atmosphere changing and she just knew that this was going to be a rough few weeks for the teenager and the team, but she just wasn't sure why.


End file.
